Kevin Gallagher is a fantastic builder in the Ryan/Olson modern fingerstyle vein. His attention to deal is legendary and this Creation Series is a perfect showcase for his skills.

The former owner Nate McCann has this to say:”This is a brand new, custom Omega limited edition “Creation Series” grand concert guitar. With only 25 made it is truly a collector’s item. Every guitar Kevin Gallagher crafts is simply incredible with amazing tone and unmatched beauty. All Omega guitars are hand-crafted to the highest standards of supreme quality, personally by Kevin, and this one is no exception. Kevin builds a limited number of guitars each year (usually less than a dozen) and all custom to exact customer specifications.

Fit and finish is second to none as is Kevin’s inlay work. He is so sought after that he could make a living and stay plenty busy doing inlay work alone. But, lucky for us, he applies the same degree of excellence to the entire process of building amazing guitars! In fact, this one may be extra special due to the time he took to complete it – 3 years in the making! This guitar was commissioned in 2004 and construction begun mid-year 2005.

Kevin then traveled on a missions trip to Africa in early 2006 and while there suffered a severe shoulder injury. Upon his return home he planned for and had surgery later that year and this prohibited him from completing any further work on guitars. His recovery was slow and he wasn’t able to resume work until mid-year 2007. This gem was completed mid-summer 2008 and the new owner was delighted to finally receive it! The woods used to make this guitar (whether soundboard, back/sides, bindings, headstock overlay, neck, etc.) were all from Kevin’s private stash of master grade woods.

Back and sides are striking Koa w/ awesome 3-D curl, flaming and beautiful honey coloration. Soundboard is a rich Redwood that will respond dynamically and equally well to a light touch or firm picking. Binding is Brazilian Rosewood perfectly accentuating the beauty of the Koa and Redwood. On to the topic of sound…an Omega GC has brilliant harmonics, with trebles that sing like a heavenly choir, a mid-range that is strong and distinct, and low end that reverberates without any muddiness whatsoever. The ultra-thin neck and terrific action are a perfect match and it would be difficult to find any other acoustic that plays as easily as this! The Koa back and sides are woody and bright yet will sweeten and deepen given some playing time.

Redwood top adds warm, rich and complex tones. Sustain is unbelievable; notes seem to carry on endlessly. Simply put, it is an extremely versatile and superbly balanced instrument, with perfect intonation. Undoubtedly, the inlay spanning the 8th to 19th frets is remarkably stunning and is what sets this guitar apart from all others. Inspired by Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, this iconic image of the hand of God giving life to Adam is painstakingly crafted into the fingerboard of this guitar with mother of pearl in hues of pink, white, and bluish-gray. It is simply breathtaking and, without question, this guitar stands out!

And if that were not enough, the playability and tone are truly exceptional! Rosewood binding, rosewood overlay on the reverse of the headstock, the 5-piece mahogany/maple/rosewood/maple/mahogany neck, and paua abalone rosette and purfling complete the look of this beautiful instrument and give you a glimpse visually as to the overall quality of build. Other appointments worth noting include the Mother of Pearl (MOP) Omega logo adorning the glossed ebony headstock, gold Gotoh 510 tuners with ebony buttons, ebony bridge and bridge pins with MOP dots, a Florentine cutaway giving access to the upper frets, and a clear pickguard. It is sheltered in the original deluxe custom-fit TKL hard shell case with dark red crushed velvet interior.

Errors are unintentional although we try very hard not to make them- corrections or feedback are always welcome! Guitars are property of individual owners. Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly. Guitars remain property of respective owners. This guitar is not offered for sale through guitarbench.com or our affiliates. We accept no responsibility for any transactions that occur as a result of this article. Neither the author nor guitarbench.com seek or gain monetary or other benefits from any potential sale, it is posted up as a courtesy to the current owner.

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Guitarbench is designed to be an electronic magazine, but with a familiar, print face. Even though the issues are optimised and available for electronic platforms, we're still at heart, a traditional publication.

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Editor: Terence Tan
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